Details
Posted: 05-Apr-22
Location: Lakeville, Connecticut
Type: Full Time
Preferred Education: Masters
Salary: Competitive
Categories:
Library/Media Specialist
Are you interested in doing work that makes a difference as part of an unparalleled community?
The Hotchkiss School is a leading boarding school in northwestern Connecticut that offers high school students a superlative education spanning academics, the arts, athletics, personal growth, and the opportunity to build relationships that will last a lifetime.
The Hotchkiss School is hiring a full-time, year-round Digital Collections & Services Librarian. The Library is very much connected to the fabric of the School and is staffed by a team of committed librarians who work closely with each other and School faculty and staff to provide student-centered services.
This librarian serves as the primary cataloger and database administrator for a well-resourced high school library used by high-achieving students and dedicated faculty. This position provides a forward-thinking and team-oriented approach with opportunities to expand the Library's reach by cataloging material and implementing metadata utilizing diverse and equitable descriptors.
Reporting to the Library Director, the Digital Collections & Services Librarian provides expertise and leadership in the creation, presentation, and assessment of digital collections, databases, and metadata systems, policies, and procedures. They may also provide expertise in support of the Hotchkiss Archives and Special Collections. They would join the full Library team in providing desk coverage and research and reference support, including some evenings and weekends.
The School is eager to accept applications from individuals who are excited to support an inclusive and warm learning community for students from a wide array of backgrounds and experiences.
Apply now! Apply online and attach your resumé and a cover letter for consideration.
ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:
Cataloging
- Catalogs (original and copy cataloging), classifies, and tags physical and electronic items, with a focus on enhancing access.
- Coordinates input of individual and batch bibliographic records into the Library’s Integrated Library System (Koha) and oversees the maintenance of our holdings and other data in OCLC WorldCat.
- Serves as the Library’s expert on descriptive metadata.
- Applies considerations of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) in creating and maintaining access points.
- Trains library staff as needed in classification (Dewey), processing, and library technologies.
- As time allows, provides descriptive cataloging for rare books, ephemera, and the processing of archival materials.
- Refines and creates workflows.
Digital Collections and Databases
- Develops the Library’s discovery layer (EBSCO Discovery Service).
- Maintains Library database subscriptions.
- Collects information and data, both anecdotal and statistical, to improve the accessibility and discoverability of Library collections.
- Participates in library website development and works with the School Communication team to unify branding across database and digital Library platforms.
Other Duties
- Liaises with academic departments as assigned; develops collection and instructional programs in these areas.
- Participates in coverage rotation at Library Services Desk and other service points as assigned.
- Works with student patrons to develop independent research skills.
- Performs other duties, completing projects and tasks as needed and assigned.
QUALIFICATIONS:
- Bachelor’s degree in any field and a Master’s degree in Library or Information Science from an ALA-accredited institution, or equivalent degree. Applicants who are currently working toward their MA degree are welcome to apply.
- Experience with LCSH, MARC, and RDA. Experience with Koha, and/or in OCLC Connexion desirable.
- Understanding of local subject heading and name authority creation.
- Experience administering database subscriptions and customizing databases preferred.
- Enjoys working with teen aged patrons.
- Demonstrated experience organizing work and performing assigned tasks independently without close supervision and with a high level of attention to detail.
- Demonstrated experience promoting diverse access points.
- Experience working with vendors preferred.
- Must possess the ability to effectively proofread online data.Experience working in a school or academic library strongly preferred.
- Ability to set priorities, advocate and embrace change, and select and use new tools and workflows.
- Excellent communication skills and customer service oriented.
PHYSICAL AND OTHER CONDITIONS:
This is a full-time, year-around position. A license or certificate in teaching is not required.
A relocation stipend may be available.
Participates in the staffing coverage of the library. The schedule during the academic year is typically Monday to Friday, 8am–4:30pm, plus one night of reference a week (6pm–10pm) and one Sunday shift (noon–5pm) a month.
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this position:
- Repetitive (keyboard) motion
- Occasional bending, stooping, and reaching
- Occasional carrying boxes 20 lbs and up to 50 lbs with assistance
- Regularly pushes/navigates fully-laden book trucks
- Regularly stands for long periods
- Close vision, the ability to adjust focus, and comfort using a computer monitor for long periods of time
- Noise level in the work environment is usually quiet
- Given the persistent risks of the spread of the COVID-19 virus – risks that are heightened due to the emergence of more highly transmissible variants – all employees of the School are required to be fully vaccinated by their first day of work as a condition of employment. Employees who are unable to receive the vaccine due to disability, medical condition, or a sincerely held religious belief may request an exemption, which will be reviewed by the School to determine the availability of any reasonable accommodations.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
The essential functions and basic skills have been included. It is not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all functions, responsibilities, skills and abilities. Additional functions and requirements may be assigned by supervisors as deemed appropriate. This position description is subject to change at any time.
The Hotchkiss School is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to basing judgments concerning the employment of individuals upon their qualifications and abilities. The School is firmly committed to equal employment and advancement opportunities for all employees and applicants in all phases of the employment process (including recruitment, hiring, assignment, terms and conditions of employment, compensation, benefits, training, promotion, transfer, discipline and termination).
In accordance with applicable law, the School does not discriminate against any individual based on age, ancestry, color, genetic information, learning disability, marital status, past or present history of mental disability, national origin, physical disability, race, religious creed, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, veteran status, or any other protected characteristic.
ABOUT THE HOTCHKISS SCHOOL & THE EDSEL FORD MEMORIAL LIBRARY
Located in the scenic Berkshire-Taconic landscape in the quiet northwest corner of Connecticut, The Hotchkiss School is a community in which faculty and staff members build careers and grow as professionals. We seek to identify, recruit, and develop faculty and staff members who bring a diversity of experiences, perspectives, talents, and backgrounds. Collectively, we are dedicated to supporting the intellectual, social, and emotional growth of 600 students who come from around the country and the world.
Since 1952 The Edsel Ford Memorial Library has served The Hotchkiss School community, supporting the School’s Mission as a place where community members discover new ideas, where reading and critical analysis are promoted, and where the diversity of human culture, knowledge, and experience is celebrated. The Library is a space where students, faculty, and community members gather to read, write, study, or pause and re-energize. Led by a talented team of librarians, archivists, and a curator, it supports the academic curriculum, especially inquiry-based learning, utilizing extensive print, electronic resources, archives, and special collections. The Library has over 50,000 print volumes and a full suite of research databases, including Academic Search Premier, Adam Matthew, Project Muse, JSTOR, and more.
DEPARTMENT: Edsel Ford Memorial Library
FLSA: Exempt
Reports to: Library Director
Schedule: Calendar year
Designation: Full time Staff